Bang Bang
Fragments ~ From Floyd - The Thrill of The Hunt - Reflecting back, there is only one clear memory of my father passing down the torch of knowledge, transmitting to me that one manual thing that he knew how to do, because his father never passed along anything to him but the butterbeans. I remember the day I learned everything he had to teach me. He summoned me down to our basement on the night of this memory. In a somber tone, he alluded to the fact that he would not always be around to handle male responsibilities such as this, and someday, I would be the man of the house. And, with ceremonial solemnity, he showed me how to relight the pilot on the furnace.

Citizen Net
Greeblie Blog - I Hate Popups! - I've never clicked on one of those pops, I'll never click on one of those evil things. Not even if I had crack crazed weasels feasting on my skull and the ad was for a crack weasel wrangler.

Furriners
Heretical Ideas - Goodbye Independent Chechnya - In fact, the PLO, IRA and the Chechens are textbook examples of how not to run an independence movement. The lessons to be learned by all would be secessionists from their actions are: don't target civilians, show yourself worthy of running a separate state, and try to gain the sympathy of majority of the population of the country you're seceding from.

Ipse Dixit - France Gave Iraq Biological Weapons - So they got anthrax spores from a US non-profit and from an internationally-recognized French research facility. Yet the homegrown blame-America-firsters who are so anxious for us to follow France's lead and ignore Saddam's depredations and the threat he represents never blame France for his bio-weapons program (nor, for that matter, do they mention France's strong financial ties with Saddam or the conflict of interest this creates. Funny, that).

Heart Strings and Hand Grenades
Sour Mash With A Twist - Death Of A Ringling Brothers Souvenir Flashlight - Eight years ago, my wife, then my girlfriend, took me to the circus. I have seldom had as much fun in my life.

It wasn't really the show itself, although it was quite something, I suppose. I can remember being quite pleased, emitting my fair share of "oohs" and "ahhs" and completely unabashed wild applause.

What can a fella do? Bob likes the circus.

a small victory - whose child is this? - In your mind, his life fast forwards and you see your child reaping all kinds of rewards; the honor student bumper sticker, the baseball MVP, valedictorian, employee of the month. Your mind only lets you see great things ahead for your child. You don't look into your baby's eyes and envision him growing up to be a terrorist, a murderer, a junkie.